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Old 10-17-2004, 11:36 AM
imported_Chuck Weinstock imported_Chuck Weinstock is offline
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Default Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

This is from Medical News Today. I have no idea about the verascity of the publication, but I thought this might be of interest to the community.

17 Oct 2004

Why did the British never allow themselves to become dependent on just two flu major flu vaccine suppliers like the Americans did? According to health experts, they did this in case the current Chiron flu vaccine crisis happened - to make sure the nation's people were not left in a vulnerable position.

Last August UK officials, with the same information the US officials had, decided something had to be done in case the Chiron supplies, 14% of UK supplies, went belly up. The US officials decided to believe Chiron and gamble 48% of their supplies on an assurance that everything would turn out fine despite some worrying set backs.

When October 5th arrived, the British authorities pulled the plug on the Chiron, Liverpool, supplies. US authorities were caught out - nothing had been done in advance, the country had allowed itself to get into this situation.

Even without this crisis, the UK authorities have always had a situation where they can fall back on six or seven suppliers that have been pre-approved by UK authorities. The US, on the other hand, only has two - one of which has let them down. Had the US had more pre-approved suppliers, had the US started to do something about this problem last August when alarm bells were ringing, had the US…….? This is what many Americans are now starting to ask.

The American Health Dept saw no reason last August to do anything, says their spokesman Tony Jewell. Americans hear him and ask, so why did the British have a reason, you both worked on the same information, didn't you?

America's only other supplier, Aventis, may have upped supplies if they had been asked in advance - say last August - said an Aventis spokesman. But no one from the US approached them on this matter, not till after Oct 5.

In a nutshell, one country that was 14% dependent did something early on while another that was 48% dependent did nothing.
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  #2  
Old 10-17-2004, 12:28 PM
jakethebake jakethebake is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

O.K. if you're gonna try to sound smart by using big words, then at least know how to spell them. I'll let you figure out which one it is.

[ QUOTE ]
This is from Medical News Today. I have no idea about the verascity of the publication, but I thought this might be of interest to the community.

[/ QUOTE ]
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  #3  
Old 10-17-2004, 01:02 PM
imported_Chuck Weinstock imported_Chuck Weinstock is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

Without even looking (and I think I knew that I had it wrong at the time) I am sure it is the verascity which is really spelled veracity. For no reason at all this reminds me of the guy at our local NPR station who can't pronounce things to save his life. My favorite is the website travelocity.com which he says as travel-o-city, which cracked me up the first time I heard it.
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Old 10-17-2004, 01:04 PM
jakethebake jakethebake is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

LOL...And I niver mispell anethung.
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  #5  
Old 10-17-2004, 04:46 PM
Jimbo Jimbo is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

Chuck I believe that if we had secured flu vaccine from other overseas suppliers Kerry would have complained about losing more jobs to foreign competition. It is a lose-lose situation for our current administration. It became more politically sound to secure only enough vaccine for the Republicans and allow as many Democrats as possible to either die or be too sick to vote on election day.

Jimbo
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Old 10-17-2004, 04:55 PM
vulturesrow vulturesrow is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

The flu vaccine problem can be directly attributed to the fact that their prices are set at an artifically low level because of the US government.
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Old 10-17-2004, 05:27 PM
tek tek is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

Perhaps Bush reasoned (for lack of a better word) that Liberals would be out hugging tree, get the flu and not get the vaccines...
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Old 10-17-2004, 08:33 PM
imported_Chuck Weinstock imported_Chuck Weinstock is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

Jimbo,

Believe it or not I did not post this as a Kerry vs. Bush missive and don't consider it to be particularly partisan in nature...though if you want to make it such go ahead. I thought the question was an interesting one though. If I had to guess I'd guess that the policy of two suppliers was set long before this Bush administration.
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Old 10-17-2004, 11:40 PM
Nepa Nepa is offline
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Default Re: Why did Chiron Flu Crisis Affect USA more than England?

There are really 3 suppliers(appoved in the U.S.) if you count Medimune's Flumist. The one problem with Flumist is the FDA has only approved it for the ages 5-49 and they could be a major suppier if the FDA approves them for the age groups that get the most flu shots.
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